London Guide: Day One

In 2011 I had the opportunity to travel with my high school to visit London for two nights before heading off to Paris. After flying out of O'Hare around 4PM, we arrived in Heathrow at 6AM. For the entire duration of Day One I was completely out of it. I hadn't slept on the plane so I was running on absolutely no sleep and if I remember correctly I almost passed out from exhaustion on the London Eye :) oops.

We unpacked our bags at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in London. Our rooms were nice, nothing extraordinary but we definitely got a good laugh at the signs for Lifts, the bathroom and options to choose from during the continental breakfast the next day.

Trying to squeeze in 3 days worth of exploring to see all that London has to offer? I'm sharing our trip itinerary and some fun travel hacks in hopes they may inspire, help or guide you if you are ever in this amazing city.

Day One: Learn about London's past on a guided tour through St. Paul's Cathedral. Don't forget to catch a glimpse of the Houses of Parliament and listen for Big Ben. If you're able to, get tickets for Westminister Abbey - you won't regret it. Not even two months before our visit was the wedding of the Royal Duke and Duchess, so shops were filled with little figurines, mugs and everything you could possibly want their faces to be stamped on.

Across the River Thames is the London Eye (where I almost passed out, haha!) which I definitely would recommend climbing aboard. There is room to sit or stand and you catch a breathtaking glimpse of all sides of the city from the top of the wheel.

If you have a moment to stop into Trafalger Square, you can choose to walk the surrounding museums and galleries, or climb on top of the famous Lion sculptures and gorgeous fountain. The Olympic countdown was also on display in the square that summer. We definitely filled the day with classic touristy attractions that we HAD to cross off our bucket lists, but it was amazing none the less!